Wire-connector.



' PATENTED APR. 30. 1907.

J. S. TUCKER.

WIRE CONNECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.13, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. TUCKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO SAMUELN. POND, OF MORGAN PARK, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Aimlienh'au filed February 13, 1905. Serial No. 245,551.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn S. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in I/Vire-Connectors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for connecting and uniting the meetingends of wires, wire cables, and the like.

In the principal application thereof the invention is designed as amechanical connecting device for use in connection with guy-wires, wirecables, and the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device wherein themeeting ends of one or more wires may be securely united in anexpeditious manner and with a minimum manipulation. of the wiresthemselves.

To this end the invention consists of a connector having thepeculiarities ofstructure and mode of manipulation substantially ashereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partlybroken away, illustrating the preferred form of my connector; Fig. 2 isa cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the bent end of thewire being omitted; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3*?) ofFig. 1 and Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, plan and elevational viewsof a slightly modified form of connecting link.

Referring to the drawing, 6 designates the principal element of thedevice, herein shown as a connection-piece or link having preferably thegeneral oblong loop-shaped form of a turn-buckle, in the ends of whichand longitudinally whereof are formed bores 7. These bores, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, are preferably oblong or oval in cross-section anduniformly tapered from end to end, and have a transverse dimensionthroughout not less than twice the diameter of the wire so as to avoidoffering any end thrust or resistance to the bent over end.

8 designates each of a pair of wires, the meeting ends of which are tobe united by the link 6. To effect this union, the ends of the wires 8are drawn inwardly through the longitudinal bores 7 of the link, and arethen bent over and doubled back on themselves, the wires being thendrawn outwardly, whereby the bcnt over portions 8 are drawn into thebores 7 alongside the main longitudinal portions; but, on account of theformation of transversely enlarged wedge-shaped portions or heads 8* atthe acute bends of the wire, the latter cannot and will not pull throughthe bores 7, but will wedge tightly therein in such a manner that thegreater the tensional strain, the more intimate will be the contactbetween the engaging surfaces of the wires and the link, and the moresecure will be the bond between the wires.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modified form of link, consisting of astrip or plate 6 having projecting laterally of its ends lugs 6 whichcontain bores 7, similar to the bores 7 and preferably in longitudinalalinement, adapted to co-operate with the bent-over portions 8 and bends8" of the wires 8, in the manner already described. Of course, theparticular form of the connecting link is immaterial, so long as itprovides at longitur'linally separated points thereof openings or boresof sufficient size to enable the meeting ends of the wires to be enteredfrom the outer ends thcrethrough, bent back, and then retracted to carrythe bent-back portions into the bores and. wedge the enlarged portionsformed at the bends therein.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device is extremely simpleand easy of application. No twisting together of the wires isrequired;simply the bending back of the end portions (which may beeffected by an ordinary pair of pliers) and their retraction into theapertures of the link, thus affording the double advantage ofautomatically providing such an enlarged head. as will not and cannotpull through the hole and at the same time locking the bent-over end ofthe wire against any possibility of bending back.

\Vhilc I have shown and described the connection-piece as engaging wireends in the manner described at both its ends, it will be seen that theprinciple of the invention in its simplest form is complete in theengagement at one end, since the other end might be similarly orotherwise connected to the wire.

My invention is particularly adapted for connecting guy-wires and wiressuch, for instance, as those employed to support trolley wires fromopposite sides of the street or where overlying curved portions oftrack. It is also evident that, by making the intermediate link elementof electrical conducting material, such as copper, the deviceconstitutes a simple, cheap and convenient conducting connector forelectrical conducting Wires.

I claim:

1. The combination with a wire having its end portion bent over anddoubled back on said wire, of a connectionpiece having a taperedunobstructed bore extending there through and entirely surrounded bymetal, the smaller end of said bore having a maximum diameter notexceeding twice the diameter of said Wire, said bore receiving said wireand its bent-over end with the latter extending entirely through saidbore, whereby a lateral compressive action is exerted upon said wire andits bent-over end under a pulling strain on said Wire, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a pair of wires having the adjacent end portionsthereof bent over and doubled back to form wedgeshaped terminals, of aconnection-piece having formed in its opposite ends tapered unobstructedbores extending therethrough and entirely surrounded by metal, the outerends of said bores having a maximum diame ter not exceeding twice thediameter of said wire, said bores engaging said wedge-shaped terminalswith said bent-over ends extending entirely therethrough, whereby saidterminals are wedged tightly into said bores under a pulling strain onone or both of said wires, substantially as described.

JOSEPH S. TUCKER.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GoonwrN, WILLIAM R. LITZENBERG.

